A NEW strategy aims to deliver a future where those able but unlikely to avail of higher education opportunities are given every encouragement.
Addressing representatives from the National Union of Students and the Union of Students Ireland (NUS-USI), Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry said:
“My Department’s Graduating to Success, the first Higher Education Strategy for Northern Ireland sets out a long-term vision for the sector with implementation targets up to 2020. It looks towards the future with a shared vision for how best higher education can be used in creating the Executive’s aim of a shared and better future for all supported by a rebalanced economy.
“Learners are at the heart of the Strategy. Our local universities play a critical role in producing graduates with the necessary skills to meet existing and new economic opportunities.
“The Northern Ireland Executive has recognised the importance of investing in higher education and supporting efforts to raise skills. The recent injection of funding from the Jobs and Economy Initiative enabled the provision of 500 additional undergraduate places bringing the total increase in STEM places to 1,200 by 2015. I have also secured funding for an additional 300 PhD places in economically relevant areas.”
Speaking at the annual conference in Enniskillen the minister spoke of the Department’s plans to create a knowledge intensive, export driven economy.
He continued: “I am committed to delivering a future vision of the higher education sector in Northern Ireland in which the people who are most able but least likely to participate, are given every encouragement and support to achieve the necessary qualifications to gain entry to, and to benefit from, higher education.”
Meanwhile, more engineering and advanced manufacturing firms in Northern Ireland are taking on apprentices and graduates than ever before.
With the help of Semta, the sector skills council for science, engineering and advanced manufacturing, 99 apprentices and 20 graduates have been recruited and trained in the past 12 months by first time companies.
Speaking at an event in Stormont to mark one year since the introduction of the Employer Investment Funds, a scheme to encourage firms to invest in skills, the Employment and Learning Minister, Stephen Farry said:
“Semta was recently asked by my Department to assist in conducting a feasibility study with employers into the demand for a higher level apprenticeship in engineering. The proposal is to pilot a higher level apprenticeship framework in engineering that will include a foundation degree designed to meet the specific skills needs of local employers.
“This will further strengthen the existing partnership between the engineering and further education sectors and I believe that a higher level apprenticeship will provide the sector with a progression route to higher level skills for those in work and those entering the workplace for the first time. I look forward to announcing the launch of the higher level apprenticeship pilot in the very near future.”